Slideout Making Grinding/Grating Sound

[Andi]

Our slides have worked well up until our last trip. When I retracted the dining slide, for the first 8 or 9 seconds, there was a grating/grinding sound that we've not heard before. It also makes the sound when extending the slide.

I took a video of the sound, but apparently I can't post it on here and I don't have Youtube. If you happen to be on the Grand Design RV Owners FB page you can see/listen to it there. (It only happens east of the Mississippi River - on my map , which is about the first foot or so where the slidebox meets the main RV body.)

DH lubricated the slide mechanisms (even though they were supposedly done when we had it at the dealer in early June), and ran the slide in and out a few times. He thought the sound was gone, but when we were packing up to leave our camping spot last weekend, it started doing it again.

The camper is level, the slidebox is level. We measured how far the slidebox extends from the camper:

Top Left 35-3/8" Top Right 35"
Bottom Left 36-1/2" Bottom Right 36-1/8"

Do these measurements seem okay? Any other thoughts on what could be causing this?

Thanks,
Andi

[Cate&Rob]

Andi
Hi Andi,

I found your FB post (and that was a challenge for me ) . . . that sounds like “motor speed” noise. It is not a gear & pinion rack speed noise or a slide scraping noise. I can’t explain why the noise stops after the slide is part way in. The leverage that the slide weight has on the drive rack changes as the slide changes position. Maybe this has something to do with it? That drive motor is just inside the frame rail on the left side. (find the manual drive sticking through the frame rail). I would undo the coroplast in that area and watch / listen to the motor as the slide is cycled.

Rob

[ncitro]

Our slides have worked well up until our last trip. When I retracted the dining slide, for the first 8 or 9 seconds, there was a grating/grinding sound that we've not heard before. It also makes the sound when extending the slide.

I took a video of the sound, but apparently I can't post it on here and I don't have Youtube. If you happen to be on the Grand Design RV Owners FB page you can see/listen to it there. (It only happens east of the Mississippi River - on my map , which is about the first foot or so where the slidebox meets the main RV body.)

DH lubricated the slide mechanisms (even though they were supposedly done when we had it at the dealer in early June), and ran the slide in and out a few times. He thought the sound was gone, but when we were packing up to leave our camping spot last weekend, it started doing it again.

The camper is level, the slidebox is level. We measured how far the slidebox extends from the camper:

Top Left 35-3/8" Top Right 35"
Bottom Left 36-1/2" Bottom Right 36-1/8"

Do these measurements seem okay? Any other thoughts on what could be causing this?

Thanks,
Andi

No Facebook here so I have not listened yet, but mine made a bit of a grinding noise in the middle, 100% repeatable in the same spot every time. I figured it might need some grease but that did not do it. I pulled down the coroplast and found where the motor is screwed to the frame the screws were loose. Tightened them up and it has been fine since.

[Andi]

Andi
Hi Andi,

I found your FB post (and that was a challenge for me ) . . . that sounds like “motor speed” noise. It is not a gear & pinion rack speed noise or a slide scraping noise. I can’t explain why the noise stops after the slide is part way in. The leverage that the slide weight has on the drive rack changes as the slide changes position. Maybe this has something to do with it? That drive motor is just inside the frame rail on the left side. (find the manual drive sticking through the frame rail). I would undo the coroplast in that area and watch / listen to the motor as the slide is cycled.

Rob

Cate&Rob thanks for taking the time to search for the post on FB (good job!), and for your advice. Guess Rudy just added one more thing to his honey-do list!
Is it damaging to operate the slide like this a couple of times until we track down the problem? Or should we be looking for a mobile tech?

Andi

[Andi]

No Facebook here so I have not listened yet, but mine made a bit of a grinding noise in the middle, 100% repeatable in the same spot every time. I figured it might need some grease but that did not do it. I pulled down the coroplast and found where the motor is screwed to the frame the screws were loose. Tightened them up and it has been fine since.

Thanks Neil, ncitro. That sounds like a simple fix, will check it out.

Andi

[Cate&Rob]

Cate&Rob thanks for taking the time to search for the post on FB (good job!), and for your advice. Guess Rudy just added one more thing to his honey-do list!
Is it damaging to operate the slide like this a couple of times until we track down the problem? Or should we be looking for a mobile tech?

Andi

Hi Andi,

It seems that Neil ncitro and I are thinking along the same lines . . . a loose motor mounting. It shouldn't be too difficult (even at a campsite) to remove a few coroplast fasteners and reach in there to determine if the motor is firmly attached. If a loose motor is not the problem, then it might be time for a mobile tech to figure out what is going on.

BTW . . . if you do open up that area, check the condition of the 120V Molex electrical connectors that are subject to the recall . . . the three for the kitchen slide are right in that same area. (There is one one on the other side for the outlets in the dinting table slide)

Rob

[Andi]

Thanks Cate&Rob and ncitro . Rudy pulled the coroplast on the back of the RV the other day. He found that the motor that runs the kitchen slide (which wasn't the one making the noise) had one nut completely missing! The DR motor was a little loose, tightened that up. Ran it in and out several times, no noise. Once he replaced the coroplast, spare tire, and 2 extra sewer hose storage tubes that he added recently, it made the noise just for the first second when retracting. We're not too worried about the small sound, I'm starting to think it's a vibration from one of those tubes perhaps, since it didn't make the noise when they were not on there.

Appreciate the help, guys!

Andi

[ncitro]

Thanks Cate&Rob and ncitro . Rudy pulled the coroplast on the back of the RV the other day. He found that the motor that runs the kitchen slide (which wasn't the one making the noise) had one nut completely missing! The DR motor was a little loose, tightened that up. Ran it in and out several times, no noise. Once he replaced the coroplast, spare tire, and 2 extra sewer hose storage tubes that he added recently, it made the noise just for the first second when retracting. We're not too worried about the small sound, I'm starting to think it's a vibration from one of those tubes perhaps, since it didn't make the noise when they were not on there.

Appreciate the help, guys!

Andi

No problem hope its gone for good!

[Canyonlight]

Our slides have worked well up until our last trip. When I retracted the dining slide, for the first 8 or 9 seconds, there was a grating/grinding sound that we've not heard before. It also makes the sound when extending the slide.

I took a video of the sound, but apparently I can't post it on here and I don't have Youtube. If you happen to be on the Grand Design RV Owners FB page you can see/listen to it there. (It only happens east of the Mississippi River - on my map , which is about the first foot or so where the slidebox meets the main RV body.)

DH lubricated the slide mechanisms (even though they were supposedly done when we had it at the dealer in early June), and ran the slide in and out a few times. He thought the sound was gone, but when we were packing up to leave our camping spot last weekend, it started doing it again.

The camper is level, the slidebox is level. We measured how far the slidebox extends from the camper:

Top Left 35-3/8" Top Right 35"
Bottom Left 36-1/2" Bottom Right 36-1/8"

Do these measurements seem okay? Any other thoughts on what could be causing this?

Thanks,
Andi

Hey Andi - please txt the video you took to me. Our fridge slide has been making some snapping/popping noises at about the 1/2 point when retracting and extending. It started quietly last year and this past weekend at Lake Vermillion and when we got home it seemed louder. I want to listen to/watch your video and compare to one I will take of ours later today to decide what I may need to do and consulting with the team here if needed.

Thanks, Andi - see you guys in about 10 days !

Dan

[Canyonlight]

Rob Cate&Rob - regarding this thread and my preceding post to Andi, where about above the coroplast is the drive motor mounting bolts/screws area for the fridge slide on our 303s ? I suspect it is just in front of the front axle in line or so with the drive shaft but how far from the curb side inside frame rail ? How many mounting points for the drive motor/other mounting points ?

As long as we are talking, how about the same questions for the dining slide ?.....I may check that out too as long as I am dropping the coroplast.

Thanks, in advance, Rob !

Dan

[howson]

Rob Cate&Rob - regarding this thread and my preceding post to Andi, where about above the coroplast is the drive motor mounting bolts/screws area for the fridge slide on our 303s ? I suspect it is just in front of the front axle in line or so with the drive shaft but how far from the curb side inside frame rail ? How many mounting points for the drive motor/other mounting points ?

As long as we are talking, how about the same questions for the dining slide ?.....I may check that out too as long as I am dropping the coroplast.

Thanks, in advance, Rob !

Dan

Below is a pic from my recent work under my 315RLTS (similar living area to your 303). The view is looking toward's the back of the trailer. Note the motor for the kitchen slide is close to the curb side of the camper and the motor for the dinette slide is in about 1/4 of the way in from the street side edge.

The attached LCI document shows all the components in an electric slide-out.

Hope that helps...Rob may have more specific info.

[howson]

Canyonlight -- a lot more info available here: https://support.lci1.com/through-fra...c-slide-system. There's even a video on how to replace a motor.

Note it doesn't matter if the slide is 2x2 or 2.5 x2.5...the components are all the same just a different size.

[Canyonlight]

Howard howson - thanks, Howard......appreciate the information.

Dan

[Canyonlight]

Hey Andi - please txt the video you took to me. Our fridge slide has been making some snapping/popping noises at about the 1/2 point when retracting and extending. It started quietly last year and this past weekend at Lake Vermillion and when we got home it seemed louder. I want to listen to/watch your video and compare to one I will take of ours later today to decide what I may need to do and consulting with the team here if needed.

Thanks, Andi - see you guys in about 10 days !

Dan

Andi Andi - thank you, for sharing your video. I will share a video of our noises as they are quite different with the banging/snapping/popping going on.

I will certainly share the findings and resolution once fixed either on this thread or a new one as may be appropriate.

Dan

[Cate&Rob]

Rob Cate&Rob - regarding this thread and my preceding post to Andi, where about above the coroplast is the drive motor mounting bolts/screws area for the fridge slide on our 303s ? I suspect it is just in front of the front axle in line or so with the drive shaft but how far from the curb side inside frame rail ? How many mounting points for the drive motor/other mounting points ?

As long as we are talking, how about the same questions for the dining slide ?.....I may check that out too as long as I am dropping the coroplast.

Thanks, in advance, Rob !

Dan

Hi Dan,

This answer is going to seem a little bit "obvious" . . . the slide drive motors are lined up with the manual overrides through the frame rails opposite to the slide that they move . The motors are about 12" to 18" inside the frame rail. The attached picture is my dining sllde motor inside the left frame rail. (before I cleaned up the wiring mess that I found when I dropped th coroplast)

Rob